I HAVE JAMES BEARD’S mincemeat,” Jeanne Voltz, a food stylist, confided to me recently. Since producing a documentary about Mr. Beard, I’ve been approached with many tales about the gregarious authority on American cuisine. Some people like to chat about his recipes, and that’s what I thought Ms. Voltz was getting at. I glibly responded, “Aren’t his recipes great?”
“I don’t think you understand,” she pressed. “I have his mincemeat.” She explained that the batch she possessed had been made by Mr. Beard’s own gigantic hands:...